Out With the Old in With the New!

And I'm really not talking about the year-definitely don't want that to end because it really just started (you know you're getting old when.....). Now I know you're all thinking WOW because as you can see there isn't a 6 month gap between this post and my most recent one, I know I'm amazed too. Well one of my excuses is no longer one-

I have a brand spanken new camera-ain't she a beaut? She was definitely worth a pretty penny. Now I just need to figure her out. I don't know how she became a she.... -_-'

So sianara to the old Casio, thanks for serving me well, I do love the size of it though, it's the size of my Razor (yes I still have a Razor). It was a nice step up at the time I got it and now it's being replaced.




After dealing with these pieces for quite a while, I finally broke down and got insurance and bought me a new pair of glasses-which is kind of a sad story because the pair I fell in love with were discontinued so these are my second choice, I like them all right, but I still saddened/bitter over not having the pair I fell in love with.

So wahoo for things that are new!

Buffalo, Palmyra, & Niagara Falls

I decided I needed a change of venue, so I called up Travis and set a time to go out to pay him and the family a visit. I had it in my mind to go see the fall colors, but it didn't work for me to go out at that time so I ended up going to the Northeast at probably not the smartest time of year. It actually wasn't that bad, still pretty mild, and I a thin blooded Arizonan was able to bear it. Actually the timing worked out pretty well, a friend of Trav and Steph passed away when I was there so I was able to really help them out and I was grateful for that.

I loved it though, to get away from the rut of daily life, seeing new sights, seeing family, eating Stephanie's cooking, experiencing Buffalo culture and many other things.




I did babysit a lot but who wouldn't want to watch this adorable little one?

He better enjoy this attention while it lasts-wahoo for February!



and he chooses the football over his parents (that's cold Collin)




Good times at the park/school





So precious.


I absolutely love this next picture, so Collin's friend Gavin had this Easter duck thing that would sing and the singing freaks poor little Gavin out, but Collin heard it, picked it up got this huge grin on his face and bear hugged it.

Therefore Collin inherited it. I don't know if Travis and Stephanie are tired of it yet.



So I noticed I took a lot of pictures of Collin eating -_-'

Then there was this day. We planned on going to Palmyra on Saturday, but the temple was closed >.> So on Tuesday Travis 'cough cough' skipped out on his afternoon classes and we were off to Palmyra. This was a special day. First off to be able to spend time with Travis was great, him being only two years older and us being in school at the same time I've always looked up to him and in a sort of way worshipped him I would do anything for him-I don't think that's changed. He was that cooler older brother to me. Then with such a deep passion, I love church history. Love it, I can't explain it, everything about those places makes me so overjoyed so I definitely loved every minute of that trip.

The Sacred Grove :D It's amazing the spirit that's there, it was nice to be able to be there all alone, even though it wasn't like how I'm use to seeing it.



I found some fall colors there






I love this temple for what it signifies. Just thinking of Joseph ever so desperately searching for the truth. Finding it and then being mocked and hated for saying he had done so. Now a temple of the Lord faces that place where he went out and said a humble prayer and received an answer. So grateful for the Restoration, love the gospel and it's history.






I really wanted to do a session-but-I'll be back to visit the new baby and then maybe I can.

Yay for the Hill Cumorah-I need to see that pageant one of these days.

Then to where the Book of Mormon was published, we had our own personal tour and I learned a lot of neat things-it was awesome.

On the last Sunday I was there we took a trek to Niagara-the weather was a little discouraging because it was raining when we left but it stopped and didn't start again on us. I found more fall colors there too-it was great.

Thank you Trav and Steph for your hospitality!

I kept picking the good days for sight seeing, I swear those were the only overcast days while I was there-ha ha-life. It's nice though it's a lot more things are free during the off season and it's not so crowded.
So all in all it was a great, grand, and wonderful trip. Again thank you Travis and Stephanie for letting me stay. Can't wait to see you all again.

I miss drawing, but it's my own dang fault

Hi there, it's been a while, sorry. Well I was looking through pictures I had once collected and found my drawings, and so now you get to see some, because I'm feeling all nostalgic.

Yeah, I need to draw and paint more.......

You don't even want to know

I need a new camera, I lost my most recent pictures, I have sitting down at the computer issues-are those good enough excuses?? Well whatever they are I know they stink, and hey look at me I'm posting again after 6 months...wow that bad. Wait I just remembered another one-reading can I blame it on that?

Historical Fiction anyone?

Sadly the to do list is on the right, so no I guess I can't count reading as an excuse.

Well so far this summer I've been to California for like a day, we walked on the beach at night and went to the Singles Ward there, that's like all I did so I definitely need a do over. It was nice to get out of the heat and travel though.

San Clemente, it was soooo pretty there.

Oh and I've been home from the mission for a whole year-WOW-scary crazy how fast that goes by.

50 ridiculous things about me

So I got tagged by the mom back in November, I thought I escaped the impeding doom of this when Stephanie over looked me-thanks a lot mom. So I went through the facts that make up me and I've come to the conclusion that I am just not a typical person, I'm thinking that's a good thing so I'm going to stick with it.

I'm going to get the ones out that show how pathetic I am so we can move on to happier thoughts and feelings.

1. I've never been kissed (I'm going for a record here, I'm sure you are all very jealous)
with that

2. I've never had a boyfriend or have gone on more than 2 dates (I've dated a lot though-does that count for anything?)

So now I'm almost 25 and haven't done any of that, you must be thinking Aubrey's batting for the other team-I would too but,

3. I fall in love/obsess with guys that I could never possibly have (because they're too dang hott and just not real-(TV) Jensen Ackles, Jeffrey Donavan, David James Elliot (Sports) Mark Reynolds (Music) Nate Russ, Will Pugh, Norbert Leo Butz ( I only love them for their voices) (Books) Nathan Steed, Edward Cullen--see I told you I was pathetic, I can't believe I'm admitting this, but see I love men.

Well now that, that's all out in the open lets move on shall we

4. I love to travel....a lot.

5. I have lived in China and Portugal.

7. I've been to Italy, Greece, Canada, and Mexico and the airports in S. Korea and England (there that's my whole outside of the US travel log)

6. One of my goals is to hit up every one of the 50 states, take a picture and do something, I'm not even half way there so I've got to get crackalackin.

7. I've got an obsessive personality, I don't know if that's become apparent, if I like something, I really like it, a whole lot-I just like to say I'm passionate-it's probably the artist in me -_-' that's a good thing to blame it on.

8. I also have a copycat personality-I have to see other's do something first (this is why I'm glad I came to the family as the 5th child) I also seem to take on the likes of the people I surround-not everything but most. I'm a whole lot more responsible, cleaner and less lazy when I'm around someone with a good sound anal personality-bustin my chops-don't ask me I just work that way.

9. I'm obsessed with short hair on guys, guys need to have short hair-there's just no other option for me, it de-mans them if they don't (time periods excluded but I'll tell you I sure like the Romans because of that fact.)

10. I actually have a favorite Christmas song (it's hard for me to have just one favorite) it's O Holy Night-I love it.

11. I don't dig hot drinks-don't get me wrong hot chocolate is great when you're chilled to the bone, but other than that I prefer ice cold drinks even when it's winter (an AZ winter that is).

12. I don't dig on caffeine either, which is a great thing.

13. I fanatically LOVE baseball-it's true, and the D'backs have caputered a lot of that love.

14. My pet peeve is getting hit in the head by any object, I hate it

15. I also hate crappy pens

16. I love to read, there truly is magic in books.

17. I greatly dislike Rap, Hip Hop, and R&B (there are exceptions to everything but very few) other than that I like everything else.

18. I want to be an illustrator-for childrens books and whatever else.

19. I also hate bandwaggoners and fairweather fans-it's all about loyalty to me.

20. I love guitars, I wish I could play them, I should probably learn.

21. I also want to learn how to play the piano

22. I love (good)pens, cups, and bags.

23. I'm funny with potatoes, I absolutely love mashed and scalopped, but any other style is just meh to me.

24. I'm really loud and outspoken, I just have to be comfortable with you to see that side of me.

25. I have a very low tolerance for pain. My family can tell you all about it. I also have needle-phobia, and my family can tell you all about that too...sigh.

26. I really like TV and Movies like a lot (more than healthy) sigh....

27. I do love the outside world a lot to though too, sports, hiking, exploring new places, swimming ect.

28. I'm OCD in the fact that I have to smell and look at my cup before I use it, seriously though I'm not even joking everytime I've tried not to be OCD there's some kind of junk in the bottom of the cup-everysingle time, I haven't checked. As for the sniffing, well that stems back from my cousin-her and her brother drank a lot of milk, so there cups smelled like it and it's not pleasant to have this milk smell when your drinking something else.

29. I see myself going to other places in the world :D

30. People are my most favorite thing to draw. I love facial expressions-that's what I hate about communicating through the computer and phones-you miss out on the non-verbals.

31. I can forget a name and I can forget a face, but a voice that's a whole different story. I'm big on voices, it's one reason I like the bands that I do.

32. I hope to paint amazing paintings of church history and coisas assim.

33. Eu falo uma outra lingua (I speak an other language Pois claro!)

34. I'm a 'method to my madness' kind of person only when it comes to my art and studying areas-I wish I were more organized, but organizing things just sort of frusterate me. I'm not horrificly messy, but I could be cleaner.

35. I'm phlagmatic/white-I don't know if I have anything else in me.

36. I love characters! That's why I like books, shows, and the USA network.

37. I do enjoy animated things ^^

38. I love pictures-I take after my dad that way.

39. I am easily amused-simple mind equals simple pleasures

40. I love history-love it

41. I've got a knack for dates, which I can't understand why others don't.

42. Shortstop is my favorite position in baseball.

43. I love sandwitches, soup and crackers, I could live off of that.

44. I utterely fail when it comes to video games.

45. I'm not a fan of chocolate chunks, M&M's Reeces in ice cream, I much prefer melting chocolate like in chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven, than cold hard chocolate.

46. I have a terrible fear of scorpians, I just pray I never get stung.

47. I'm a pretty dependent person..sad but true. I can be independent, but if there's someone to be dependent on then I will do so -_-' I take full advantage of that >.> character flaw I know.

48. I'm a major people pleaser, above my own welfare and being, and I'm talking about pleasing strangers-it's a sickness, I know.

49. I like to make up my own punctuation, words, and grammar-yes definitely need to stick with wanting to be a history teacher.

50. I love the Pioneers, I admire and respect them so much, that's why I love Work and the Glory so much and also why I love to go on treks which I'm well aware it all makes me a geek.

So now you know me just a little bit better, you can choose to do whatever you want with these pieces of information-avoid me, laugh at me, or love me all the more.

So much for being better

I think I just need to face the fact that I am not a blogger-I won't give up though, I wanted to pretend that I wasn't an anti-socialite (and had more of a life to post), but lets face it without the right people I am. Enough of that though. I am able to work with Matthew now, such a blessing, he's such sweetheart, we're working on sitting up, I am dead set on helping him achieve his goal this year (crawling).

So this next little part is for my friend Candace that finds baseball players just as delectable as I do ^__^

Moving right along

Something time is just so good at. It was good to be home for Thanksgiving again, I ran in the Turkey Trot again, the 2 mile, I know (WIMP!) it actually wasn't bad at all, and I didn't even train for it, it just left me incredibly sore for 3 days -_- It was fun to run with Carrie again though. We then went to her house had breakfast, hurried home and then went to Marcus's house where there was some good eatin ^_^ I got sick though on Sat. the 21st and my stomach has been broken ever since, I don't know I haven't had much of an appetite, and when I did eat I'd end up with stomach pain afterwards, so I didn't stuff myself like usual which is actually a good thing. So all in all it was a wonderful Thanksgiving full of family and food-I LOVE Thanksgiving!

We had our Evans' party on Friday like usual, it was good to see everyone, especially Spenc and Steph and their children because it had been a while. The Brimley's were missing one family, so were we and the Salmons only had one family, so they were all missed, but I'm excited for the Christmas Party.

So us that live here in the Vally know that we lack the season called fall, and it's sad because it's beautiful and then we hear others talk about how much they love it and all the beautiful colors, but in all fairness we have this

all year round and there's no leaves to be raked up.

Catch up time

Sheesh am I really terrible at this, well a lot has gone down since I last updated, naturally. Well I bought my very first car (I do still owe the bank of Wayne and Paula) not quite the dream car, but definitely an up grade from the last car I drove (which I really did love, now it's Trevor's to love).

The good ol Camry, it served me well

I wanted a newer Nissan Altima or Sentra but....

I ended up with this a 2001 Nissan Altima, older then I wanted, but still it's great, and with my job I'm sure putting a lot of miles on it and need a good reliable car.

On Halloween I got invited to go to the Phoenix Zoo with Tia (The little girl I work with) and her family, good times were had by all. The last time I'd been to a Zoo was 2005 when I lived in China.

That night was good fun too.


Trevor and Abby-I love the 'babbit all in blue'

We celebrated Matthew's 1st birthday-he was 'the boy who lived' for Halloween I thought it was a cute idea.

Here's adorable little Liam as Liam McQueen


I was a bum and didn't come up with a costume this year so I jacked his ^_^

This past week was a lot of fun-on Tuesday I was finally able to go to an Arizona Fall Ball game, I missed doing that while I was on my mission. I enjoy them so, $6, anywhere you want to sit, hott young baseball players, too bad I have to wait till next year, I didn't take full advantage of this season.

On Wednesday I went to the Cartel concert with Trevor and his friends, my second concert ever it'd been a while The Ataris and Vandals was the last concert I went to, I think that was 1999. So yeah I'm not a big concert goer, but I LOVE Cartel they are my favorite band, so I just had to go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UhOjBJwbWA


Then on Thurdsay was full of driving, That's the day Tia has OT(therapy) So I drive out to Chandler, then back to Mesa, and of course repeat so that's about 46 miles every Thursday, but this particular one was Payton's b-day which was a great party-thank you Reddin and Karen. Then I went to a Twilight Party, personally I would never throw something like that, but it was fun to attend, they have a home theater, Jamie is ubber creative, and played a trivia game, so it was a fun party, thank you Jamie for inviting me^^

I'm not even joking this cake is what dreams are made of, it's so wonderfully delicious, so if I ever get married, Jamie you are so doing my wedding cake! I got the best part Edward's hair-so beautiful. I went to New Moon the next morning with all the older people which was great, it was funny with all older people because when Jacob took off his shirt there was this collective little gasp/sigh it was quiet and contained, it was pretty funny-all the men in attendance laughed at that, but no ridiculous screaming thank goodness for that, and the fact that it was only $5. So yes I admit to loving the Twilight Saga, but it's ridiculous how crazy/mad some people are about it.